Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In "Gulliver," Sylvia Plath employs the imagery of clouds, swans, and spider-men to explore themes of freedom, entrapment, and transcendence. The poem's title immediately brings to mind Jonathan Swift's "Gulliver's Travels," a satire depicting a man navigating worlds where he is alternately a giant and a miniature, forever out of proportion with his surroundings. Similarly, the subject of Plath's poem seems to be out of step with his environment, lying with "eyes to the sky," entrapped by "spider-men."

The opening lines describe clouds moving "High, high and icily / And a little flat," possessing a freedom that is aloof and untouchable. The clouds have "no reflections," implying they have no need for self-examination or introspection. This quality is contrasted with the human subject lying on his back, who is unlike the clouds and "has strings attached." The clouds are "cool, all blue," yet the human figure is fettered by restrictions and societal expectations.

As the poem unfolds, we meet "spider-men" who have ensnared the figure with their "petty fetters," perhaps a metaphor for societal norms, obligations, or the judgments of others. These "fetters" are described as "so many silks," underscoring the idea that what constrains us often has an alluring, seductive quality. These "spider-men" hate the person they have caught and wish to keep him as a "relic" in their "cabinets." The idea of being reduced to a mere object in someone else's possession speaks to the dehumanization one might experience when subjected to societal conformities or judgments.

In the poem's final lines, a call to action emerges: "Step off! / Step off seven leagues, like those distances / That revolve in Crivelli, untouchable." Carlo Crivelli, a Renaissance painter, was known for his detailed, almost scientific, depiction of distances, which adds a layer of complexity to these lines. To "step off seven leagues" is to traverse a great distance, to become "untouchable" and free from the restraints placed by the "spider-men."

The last two lines, "Let this eye be an eagle, / The shadow of his lip, an abyss," conjure up images of freedom and depth. The eagle is a symbol of freedom and strength, while the "abyss" suggests a deep, immeasurable space. The human subject, then, has the potential to transcend limitations, turning the gaze that was once turned skyward into an "eagle," a creature capable of soaring to great heights.

In "Gulliver," Sylvia Plath crafts a complex narrative about the tension between human limitation and the desire for unbounded freedom. The poem serves as a metaphorical journey from entrapment to liberation, urging us to break free from the confinements-whether societal, emotional, or psychological-that bind us.

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